The invention concerns a device for performing and verifying therapeutic radiation, comprising a radiation source for a high-energy beam and a means for modulation of the high-energy beam on the gantry of an irradiation device, wherein for verification, an X-ray beam is disposed across from a radiation source for high energy beams and opposite a target volume of the radiation source for those high-energy beams such that the rays extend substantially oppositely to each other, and with a medium for detecting the X-ray beam disposed, relative to its radiation direction, behind the target volume and a medium for detecting the high-energy beam disposed, relative to the direction of this ray, before the target volume. The invention also concerns a computer program and a control method for operating this device.
A device of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,990. In this device, the therapeutic beam and the X-ray beam are imaged on a screen, to permit determination as to whether or not the delimitation of the therapeutic ray by shielding blocks corresponds with the imaged X-ray image of the target volume. This document also discloses a corresponding method for controlling this device and mentions the possibility of using a computer program. This device only permits comparison of the outer contours of the therapeutic ray with the outer contours of the target volume. Spatial detection, detection of the treatment intensity of regions to be irradiated with different intensities and detection of the anatomy of the irradiation surroundings are not possible. The intensity and the surroundings, however, provide important information if structures with low contrast, such as e.g. a tumor and endangered organs, are close to each other. This requires exact verification that the treatment zone corresponds with the position and anatomy of the target volume while avoiding critical target volume surroundings.
It is therefore the underlying purpose of the invention to provide radiation treatment which, in addition to the contour of the therapeutic ray, also permits exact verification of regions of various radiation intensities and of the entire three-dimensional anatomy of the target volume and its surroundings, in particular, including bordering endangered organs.